The End Of You
by Leki
Summary: For years police and special forces have been trying to keep Team Rocket and their nefarious Boss from spreading from the already over run Kanto to the under prepared Johto. Unfortunately there isn't enough help against Giovanni's sheer power and force of number. The region is overwhelmed. How long can our heroes run already exhausted from the fight while Rocket is running rampant?
1. Dysfunctional Town

The End of You

For years, police and special forces have been trying to keep Team Rocket and their nefarious Boss from spreading from the already over run Kanto to the under prepared Johto. Unfortunately, there isn't enough help against Giovanni's sheer power and force of number, and the region is overwhelmed. How long can our heroes run, already exhausted from the fight, while Rocket is running rampant?

Character Checklist. Some character counterparts are made into separated people.

Gold – Original protagonist from Gold/Silver/Crystal.

Crystal – Female original protagonist introduced in Crystal.

Kotone – Female Gold/Silver/Crystal remake in SoulSilver/HeartGold.

Red – Original protagonist from Red/Blue/Yellow, he is the grown up version of Ash and FireRed.

Green/Leaf – The female protagonist introduced in Pokemon Green, also from Pokemon Adventures.

Kamon – Original Rival for Gold/Silver/Crystal. This is the default name for Rival.

Silver – Original Rival, but remade in Pokemon Adventures. Separated due to personality.

Soul – Remade Rival for HeartGold/SoulSilver.

P1..::..Dysfunctional Town

"Hurry." Gold hissed, his voice ragged from loss of breath, lost from running. He was running down the street, hopping nimbly around piles of garbage and keeping an eye on the younger girl in front of him. He grit his teeth, getting impatient at her progress, but unable to hurry her. Even despite her lack of physical capability and younger body, being a lab tech and all, the broken and partially shattered cobblestones, slicked with oil and rain, were hard to walk on, much less run. And she was untrained. Shit. He was lucky he had been an outdoorsman before all of... _this_... happened. He even had time to look back, long enough to see that nobody was coming. No, that was wrong. They were coming, and they wouldn't stop. They just didn't have their prey in sight yet. His eyes darted back ahead, this time focusing on the other young woman leading the way, this one more capable. Her blue hair jutted up behind her, bouncing with each running leap she made. Somewhere along the way, her star hair adornment had been ripped away, along with her hat.

"Shit!" With a sharp explanation, the woman skidded to a halt, snarling. With a dash past the younger woman that was struggling up and over the heap of furniture that had cascaded down from an upper window, maybe from an escape attempt without a broken neck, he met his partner on the other side of the trashed home goods.

"Aw shit..." He agreed with her. A sharp, ragged fissure went down the middle of the street. Where it hit into the buildings, the buildings had collapsed, not able to keep their former squarish shape, and now just a rubble heap, and beyond this fissure and down the alley were broken light fixtures and beams, all collapsed. The gap itself was deep, probably like a 8 on the earthquake scale. A hefty Pokemon had done this, perhaps a Rhydon. And its intended victim had fallen, along with the buildings. The rotting corpses of a Flareon and a young woman were there, deep in the depths of the crack, and a little higher up, caught by its spines, was a Sandslash. The boney eye sockets of poor thing were flecked with bits of flesh. Gold shuddered, drawing back with a spasm of shock, out of his revere. He still wasn't used to seeing bodies outside of caskets.

And suddenly, a smell assaulted his nose. A bitter, burnt smell, with a mouthful of burned eggs beneath it. It was the noxious spillings of a Wheezing. Normally, just building up in its body could cause one of them to Explode. But now, whether it was that trainer in black or a wild Wheezing, it wasn't safe. And with the two hot on their trail, Gold wasn't willing to leave it to chance.

"Marina!" With a sharp look and growl to the woman beside him, he stood up straighter, looking across the gap they could not jump, "Meganium-"

"-Is burnt to a crisp." Marina hissed back at him, gritting her teeth and spreading her legs in a nervous, ready stance, despite the fact that they could never really truly be ready, "And Togetic is dead." Gold's eyes flashed with shock. He hadn't known that. No vines or wings to help them.

They had met up, somewhere around an offset of Violet, and he didn't have much of a clue what had happened to her before then. They'd been so busy running since then they hadn't had a moment to catch up on stories. Gold had been carting Kotone, the youngest one with them back towards Azalea where Elm was waiting, as it was no longer safe in New Bark, not when he was renowned to live there, and study. He was a hermit, and didn't leave the town much. Unfortunately, it had taken the explosion of his lab and the theft of his computer data, and almost the theft of his life, to make him realize that he had to cave in and run. So, they had moved. Marina, as he had found her out as they jogged, had been returning from Cherrygrove while trying to get some medical supplies. Unfortunately, all she had found were two first aids and some bottled water, bound in her backpack. Kotone was too busy huffing and gasping for breath to really be apart of the conversation and had to content herself with listening.

It was on their way back to relative safety that they had been spotted by the two men. The one in white, and the one in black. Gold, realizing them for what they were despite their dress-me downed look to appear casual, had grabbed Marina to a screeching halt, and with a lick of sense and obedience she had halted. Unfortunately, they had not been fast enough to grab Kotone before she had yelled out.

_Flashback_

_ "Oh, heeey!" Kotone raised her arms, oblivious to the horrified looks on her companions' faces behind her, out of her sight, their arms outstretched for her, frozen now with their horror, "More survivors, hey, over here!" She had been so relieved to see other people, after having been cut off from everyone for so long, cooped up in that little hideout near Azalea, that her eyes were filling with tears. One man whipped around, his hand tightening around a whip in his hand. Kotone slowly slowed down, not running as quickly towards him when she saw the weapon, uncertainty just now starting to creep into her, and then finally a flash of understanding at the red Rs on their shirts. The other man, the one in white, turned slower than his companion. The grin that was already plastered on the man in black's face was now creeping onto the white one's._

_ Gold felt fear curling in his stomach, a sickening feeling that had his stomach churning. There was a low, deep growl and a snort of ash from the bushes. Gold's head jerked to look, and there was the scarred, red snout of a Houndoom, its red, red eyes glaring him down from behind the smoke it had snorted._

_ "RUN! NOW!" Gold screamed his command, harsh and jolting, snatching Kotone from her frozen in a spotlight look. Marina was already turning with a grimace, jetting. Despite the command having only been two words long, it wasn't enough. The Houndoom's mouth caught in a bite, down on Marina's fleeing back, on her backpack, ripping away her hard earned supplies. Kotone jumped, literally off the ground, and turned, running, in the wrong direction- Dammit! Gold had to grab her wrist and jerk her away from where she was heading and trust Marina to follow them. She had been trying to go to her original destination, Elm and Azalea, but they couldn't lead __**them**__ there, or it would all be over for the rest. Elm wasn't a fighter he was a researcher. Gold and Marina were their best, that's why they were out in the field, and that's why they had to protect it. Meaning they couldn't run for safety._

_ There was a cackle behind them, and then as Marina turned to run, a blot of acid, a Sludge Bomb from a levitating Wheezing they hadn't seen, splattered all over her shoulder. Marina cried out in pain, but cut it off with a snarl and threw her jacket off, burning her hand but saving her shoulder and arm. With good teamwork, she somehow managed to run forward, picking up the slow Kotone and running, as Gold turned and with his Typhlosion, managed to spew Flamethrowers and Smokescreens for their retreat._

And now here they were, far, far away from Azalea, their escape cut off by a Fissure attack, Pokemon too exhausted to carry them to safety, stuck in this maze of crumbling buildings, trash and smoldering fires, the smog of an overworked factory city overwhelming the sky with red fumes. The smell was growing stronger in their nostrils, and began to sting their eyes as they look frantically at the dilapidated buildings, frantic with escape. Gold groaned, throwing his Pokeball and motioned his Typhlosion to stand up on its shaking legs.

"Come on, buddy, stretch." It reared on its hind legs, catching its claws as high up on the wall as it could go. Nimbly, Gold climbed up its back, and standing on its shaking shoulders, started to pry plywood from the nails into the wall. He would have wrapped his hands in his socks to cushion them, but they didn't have time. He bloodied his hands on the rusted stubs, but in the end, he managed to climb in. Marina was next up, quickly, quickly, and then suddenly, Typhlosion fell down to its side, huffing and whining deeply in its chest. Kotone squeaked, hands fisted in its fur, panic starting to envelope her. She was the last down in the street. Whispering, Gold urged his buddy up, until finally it stood, and with weary eyes, lifted up so Kotone could climb and the other two could hoist her into the wall. With a weary thump, Typhlosion slipped down onto its haunches. Gold recalled it, and slipped the plywood shut. As they were sneaking away, there was a loud snarl from a Houndoom, _that_, Houndoom, and a blast ripped out in the alleyway, igniting the fumes. Fire was thrumming against the walls, and over the roar of the flames, igniting the gas that had been seeping into the alleyway, Gold roared to keep going. Smoke was billowing through the cracks, until suddenly it didn't have to anymore. The plywood and piece of the walls were caved in, and now smoke was really, really billowing in, in clouds.

Marina dropped to her hands and knees, and the other two followed suit, trying to stay alive, breathing beneath the smoke, trying to get clean air but still taking in soot. Marina yelped when an ember landed on her hand, and Gold hissed at the searing heat behind him. Stumbling, they made it on all fours down a flight of stairs, bumping into tables and chair legs, until they went down one more flight, hurriedly, the timbers groaning above them. They stumbled down the stairs in a heap, gasping and gulping and coughing for breath, too exhausted to carry on, waiting for their fate. The building started to collapse at the top of the stairs, but thankfully didn't go any farther. They could hear burning, but it wasn't getting past the stone of the cellar they had stumbled into. They waited, unquietly due to their gasping, waiting, waiting for it to become safe again.

Thankfully, thanks to the fire, the wrenched plywood from the window wouldn't show their attackers which way they had went. Hopefully, their attackers thought they were a pile of ash. Hopefully. Slowly, with a mutual feeling of dread, they all slowly took stock. They were in a cellar, filled with wooden boxes, and cardboard boxes, all stacked high, newspapers spilling everywhere, tubs of plastic bottles stacked against the walls, barely neat. A hoarder's cellar. Gold gulped. If the blaze reached down here, with all this flammable stuff, they would become kindling for the bonfire. It'd be up in a bright flash in seconds. With a sigh, they sorted themselves out.

Marina wound up climbing onto the pile, trying to see through the smudged high windows that opened onto ground level, maybe enough room for a body to squirm through, maybe not. If they didn't have angles on them. Gold lay sprawled on his side in the trash beside Marina, his Typhlosion curled beside him. He was stroking her carefully, inspected her. She was shaking, exhausted, and one of her fangs had been broken.

"Oh, baby..." Gold whispered to her. Against the wall, Kotone gulped, whimpering, and wiping her eyes on her sleeve, squeezing her Maril to her chest tightly.

"Maybe the Elite Four will rise up, yano? Maybe they'll take action! Aren't they meant to, like, police the regions anyways?"

"The Elite Four are dead meat." Marina spat dryly from her perch on the moldly cardboard. At her dour words, Kotone flinched, "And even if they aren't? Their numbers are few against many, no matter their elitism."

"There weren't that many of them..." Kotone smiled bleakly. Marina just stared down at Kotone.

"And you really think that's all of them?" Marina stared at Kotone with a grim frown. There was silence, and then a chuckle from Gold.

"Way to kill the mood, Mar." Gold said wryly. Marina shot a glare at him, mouth opening to mouth her displeasure.

"Kill the mood? WE might as well be dead." Marina spat out at him. Gold leaned over, looking up at Marina and nudging her with his elbow, an easy grin plastered on his face, eyes dark but still sparkling with life that threatened to hang on tenaciously.

"Kick it Mar, huh?" He stared her in the eyes, and Marina's eyes softened towards him, her oldest friend. She glanced at Kotone, who was squeezing her Maril and starting to blubber against its skin. Marina sighed and turned away, hugging her knees, unsure of how to deal with a blubbering female. Gold shrugged his shoulders in a 'Whatcha gonna do?' gesture, and scooted down the threatening to slide pile of junk and swung his but around to sit beside Kotone arm around her shoulder, an easy grin on his face. Kotone sniffled, squeezing his shorts clad leg tightly.

"Shouldn't you be comforting Marina?" Kotone asked.

"Mars a big girl. She can take care of herself." Gold squeezed her easily, stretching back as if he were in a nice, pleasant room and not a rotting pit. Kotone obviously felt the weight of the situation, and shuddered, starting to cry again.

"I d-don't like it here." Kotone sobbed, trying to bite at her sleeve to keep from crying out too loud. They both looked up when Marina spoke.

"Well, too bad. Welcome to Goldenrod. It might as well be Rocket Town."

There was silence. In the morning they would try to dig themselves out.


	2. Sniffling Never Helps

Never Helps

"What... what was this place, anyways? I can't remember. I... I didn't get very far on my journey. Before, yano, everything started to fall apart." Kotone tacked the last bit on, almost as if she were apologizing. Crystal looked at her, a hard look to her face.

"Quit apologizing." Crystal said.

"I didn't-" Kotone started, appalled at Crystal's command.

"Yes, you are, just with more words. You think like that and you are going to die. Don't apologize. Buff up your mentality." Kotone huffed, catching her breath in her mouth and slightly puffing her cheeks for a moment. Childishly rebellious. Crystal sighed tiredly, standing up, and leaning her shoulder against the wall, listening. Although Gold was more on the people friendly side than Crystal, he silently agreed with her. And he suddenly realized, being polite wouldn't help them, not now.

"She's right, Kotone." Gold said. Kotone turned to him, her face looking slightly hurt. The good guy was telling her off to.

"...Fine! Take sides!" Kotone said and got up, stomping over and sat down heavily behind some big plastic containers, not waiting to get an answer to her questions. Gold sighed heavily, stretching back against the wall and yawning. Let her pout. He was too tired to deal with her. Gold narrowed his eyes. His eyes went to Crystal as she slid down the pile of junk she had been sitting on and she leaned against Gold's shoulder. They were silent.

"Anytime you quit acting like a brat, we're ready for an apology." Crystal called sternly. There was a huff from the other side of the boxes, and then a rustle, and then finally silence. Gold nudged Crystal with his elbow before wrapping his arm around her shoulder, leaning his head tiredly against hers.

"Shuddup Crys." Gold told her with a small sigh.

"I know. I'm not being compassionate." Crystal said and sighed back, not sounding very sorry.

"Nah, that's never been your style." Gold closed his eyes, "Let's get some sleep." Gold raised his voice, "Come on', Kot, join us."

"I'm fine." Kotone said huffily, and then shut up, her Maril abruptly squeaking. Gold shrugged. She kinda annoyed him too. She needed a good slap of cold reality, on the cold floor.

Despite the discomfort of their situation, they eventually settled down to sleep.

_Gold found himself walking... a field of flowers everywhere, red and purple, sure, but mostly the yellow of dandelions. Grass as far as the eye could see. At the edges of his vision, and far, far off in the distance he could see trees. But they were miniscule. A dab of blue that might be a lake, might be a piece of sky through the trees. Might be anything. It was just so, so blue. He shivered. He'd never liked clearings. There was something ominous about them. Now that he thought about it, he really didn't like the color blue, either. He saw black figures, humans, maybe a Pokemon, in the distance, and his shiver became more violent. He hunched over partially, shivering more violently than he had before. He turned away, and suddenly he was surrounding by buildings. Red smog swirling everywhere, overwhelming even the vastness of the skyscrapers, smelling of gasoline. He turned around and the blue sky of the field seemed to swamp him, overwhelming the green of the grass and the smell of dirt and open air. He turned to the red, blue, red and back to blue. Something irked him, neither seemed like a good choice. Why was-_

Gold was awakened by a vigorous shaking of his Typhlosion.

"Huhn? What is it girl?" Gold stared at her, puzzled by her frantically swinging head, his own head groggy from sleep, but his heart thundering like he'd ran miles. It took him a second to realize her nostrils were frantically flaring and she was sniffing. Suddenly, he let loose a shrill whistle.

"EVERYBODY UP!" He demanded in a loud voice. He could hear the crackle of flames, but he didn't see fire yet, or see any kind of glow, nor did he see smoke, but he could smell that wretched gas. Looks like their pursuers had doubled back while they had slept. Crystal was on her feet, blinking the sleep away and focusing on him.

"Gold!" Crystal said.

"Where's Kotone?" Gold looked around frantically, and Kotone wasn't there

"Kotone!" Crystal barked, running up the hill of trash and looking around. The windows were still sealed, and the entrance they'd come through was very obviously blocked by fallen debris. Gold ran forward, and looked behind the containers she'd moved behind. There she was, unmoving.

"Kotone, wake up!" Gold grabbed her, shaking her, but her eyes weren't opening. The gas must of gotten to her, and she'd gone to sleep far, far too soon, "Kotone, now, wake up, NOW!" When her eyes didn't so much as flutter, he smacked her cheek as hard as he could. There! That made her eyes fluttered. Crystal came to them just then, her fanny pack buckled to her hips. They both hauled her up, and as Gold hauled her up, he had to raise his voice above the rumbling and sound of flame, "Get the window! THE WINDOW!" Crystal jumped to the task. She snatched a dirty towel in the floor and wrapped it around her knuckles, jumping up on a crate she'd moved beneath the window last night, and steadied herself quickly, knocking the glass outwards, swiftly hitting all the shards and sweeping them away. She should have done this last night, she should have, but she had been too exhausted. She tossed her hip packs through, then hopped down, looking at Gold.

"Up."

"Crystal, go-"

"UP!" Crystal glared at him, and took Kotone from him. Gold's eyes darkened. Crystal might not be able to fit because of her hips. He got up, hoisting himself up, having to bend his arms and stretch them slowly, too slowly for his liking until he could haul himself up. Gold turned reached inside the window, wincing from the pain of his shins, stabbed by pricks of glass. He'd have to pick the shards out later, but thank God he had his tennis shoes on. Kotone, lifted by Gold and Crystal, wheezing and coughing her lungs clear and starting to wake up, was lifted above the glass and got out without a scrape. Crystal hoisted herself up, and just as she feared, she got stuck by her hips.

"Goddammit!" Gold hissed, eyes narrowing, and he kicked the wall. Crystal squirmed, trying to lay diagonally to give herself more room. She raised her hands to Gold and he grabbed them, pulling. Slowly she started to pull through, and she groaned as her skin was scraped from her hips. There was a whoosh of air from inside the room, as fire finally reached it, but by then, Crystal was out, kneeling and putting her fanny pack on herself as fire licked at the their backs from the window.

"Goddamn is right, this town wants every bit of blood and skin we got." She got up, starting to run with Gold and the disorientated Kotone.

As they burst out into the street, stumbling slightly, Gold's eyes widened in shock. The streets ahead of them and off to one side were blazing with fire. The fire, building on the tall city buildings, was so high that it was making the air red and bright, as if night wasn't even happening.

"Oh my God, they're burning the city down..." Gold stared in wide eyed shock as the fire ravaged and spread. He could see purple gas seeping out from alleys, where the fire hadn't spread yet.

"Gold we gotta go, come on, come on-" Crystal tugged at his arm urgently, glancing around frantically. Her moves were getting sluggish, from staying on this high level of alert, and her eyes weren't as bright as they were yesterday, "Gold-"

"SQUAK!" A Golbat burst above a building, its alert eyes catching sight of them.

"CAL!" Gold stared at the beast, and rage erupted in his chest. He whipped his fishing rod away from his back and cast the sharp hook at the squawking bat. It fell short by several feet, and Gold pulled it back bitterly. Its mouth widened and its voice heightened in pitch as it released a Screech. Gold grit his teeth, clamping his hands over his ears tightly and glaring at it angrily, releasing his Typhlosion and starting to go after it.

"I'm gonna crisp that motherfucking BAT-" He started to go after that wretched thing, wanting to wring it for what its masters had done to this once busy, bustling city. This place that had once been so full of people you couldn't go two steps without bumping into someone or catching sight of a new shop or some attraction. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair. He was jerked off balance by Crystal grabbing his arm and very forcefully starting to drag them off.

"We can't do this now, I know you wanna kick their asses, so do I, but we HAVE to get to Elm! TODAY!" She kept jerking him, and Gold turned after a few seconds of staring at that bat, who was still screeching and making his everything tingle and hurt. Suddenly it dipped out of sight, and he knew it was getting its master. He turned and ran for his life.

They made it several streets before Kotone lost it, her glazed eyes filling with tears.

"NO! NO! I QUIT! If we give up, they'll go easy on us!" Kotone screeched, suddenly stopping and digging her feet in. Gold, attached to her by a hand, jerked to a stop, and he whirled on her.

"Kotone, now is NOT THE TIME to have a GODDAMN LACK OF SANITY!" He tugged on her, but she resisted. Fed up, he grit his teeth angrily and snatched her up, putting her on his shoulder. They didn't have time for pit deep hopes, nor did they have time to snap her out of it, if she COULD be snapped out it. This goddamn girl had been a hindrance since he'd picked her up the first time. He ignored the pounding on his back from her fists, the flailing of her legs and ran as fast as he could. There was a stitch on his side. Crystal snarled beside him, grabbing Kotone's legs and carrying her with him.

Tacked together by Kotone's body as they were, they all fell as that goddamn Golbat slammed into them, tackling them to the ground.

"FOUND YOU!" A loud human's voice screeched from behind them, "FOUND YOU! HAHAHAHAHAH! SLUDGE BOMB!" Crystal gasped and then screamed as a flat out sludge hit her in the back. Gold and Crystal dragged themselves up, Crystal's face turning red with exertion. That was the second poisonous attack she'd been attacked with. They heaved Kotone's now limp body, having gone unconscious somewhere between now and the ground, and stumbled forward. With squawk the Golbat was back, in their faces, its feet wrapped around Kotone's arm and mercilessly lifting her. Gold and Crystal struggled, pulling against it, but it lifted her up, dislocating Kotone's arm and pulling her out of reach. Gold cursed and started running, only to be tackled by the Houndoom, and then Kotone was completely out of sight, gone from his life. Crystal kicked at the dog with her tennis shoe and it bit down on her foot, making her yelp. As she kicked, she was lashed in the back with a whip, "Hahaha, you can't escape from me! I'll catch you, and you'll come to fear the name Proton!" Again she was lashed, this time her arm getting tangled in the whip's length. With a grunt, Gold jerked his hip, pushing his pokeball button into the ground. When he saw the white trunk starting to appear in white light, he called his command.

"Poison Jab!" Donphan thrust its tusks at Houndoom, heaving it off and throwing it through the air. With a jerky twist of its body, Houndoom landed on a nearby rock, crouching down and leapt off, crumpling the Donphan into the ground, where it struggled to throw him off. Gold ran to Crystal, and jerked the whip forward, tugging Proton off his balance. Crystal gathered the whip and lashed it at Proton, who caught it expertly and jerked it out of your hands.

"You SERIOUSLY thought you'd attack me with my OWN WEAPON?!" Proton grinned and snapped her in the shin with a crack, making her howl with agony, bloody starting to pour down her bare skin from the metal tip.

"Where's your partner, creep?" Gold snarled, his eyes flashing as his Donphan jabbed repetitively at the Houndoom. Proton's eyes widened as he lashed out with his whip, and Gold was forced to hop backwards.

"NONE OF YOU CONCERN!" With a grin her started to push them backwards. Gritting his teeth, eyes flashing fire Gold was forced backwards again. He had seen the forest line from before Proton had caught up to them, it was close, but too far for the way they were being dogged. With a rattle of its Pokeball, Typhlosion came out, standing on all four legs beside him, too weary to stand on too.

"Girl?!" Gold's eyes widened in shock. With a tired and determined flex, her sharp bristle of fire burst from her neck. But the flames were slow and tired, "Girl, get back in your ball, now!" Typhlosion bristled when the beam of light hit her, shaking it off and refusing to go back in. With a roar a column of flame blasted Proton off his feet and flung him backwards. The flame quit, only to have smoke spewed out every which way, fanning the area. When Gold touched her, getting her to run, she bristled and his hand came away burned. She shoved him away and flames went up between them. Gold stumbled backwards, the high grass at his feet turning into flames and running into the bushes. He watched in horror as his started sealed herself off from him and continued to use her flame to hold him off.

"Gold, we have to go." Crystal gripped his arm and they started to run towards the forest. He knew they didn't have a chance without her. His only other Pokemon was weary from battle, and his others had been left with Elm for either healing or protection. He didn't have a choice. His Ambipom couldn't even reach her. He couldn't reach her. With a growl of anger, Gold ran into the forest with Crystal.

"LEAVING YOUR PRECIOUS POKEMON TO DIE?!" Proton yelled to them, a goodbye. It took everything in Gold to keep running, and not try and wipe that laughter from that asshole's body. Even through the darkening shadows and density of Ilex, they could see the flickering shadows of the fire. Behind them, they heard Proton laugh, and then there was a sickening crack and a roar of pain. More roaring sounds of fire, and then they were too far away to hear anymore.

_An hour into the forest..._

"Four." Crystal dredged forward, a feeling of weight heavy on her shoulders.

"What?" Gold trudged beside her, his gaze on his feet. Maybe if he didn't look at the horizon, at the fact that their destination never seemed to get in sight, maybe he just wouldn't give up.

"Two Pokemon gone. Meganium. Togekiss. Gone before I even got back to you. Typhlosion to protect us. Kotone makes a fourth loss." Crystal ran her hand up her face and back over her head, exasperated, put out, depressed. Feeling down. Gold's eyes narrowed, as he felt a thread of guilt and pity along with his own pain.

"I know." He couldn't say he was sorry. It wasn't his fault, and he couldn't help her. And he couldn't help his precious baby girl, the starter who'd been there all along through his journeys. It didn't seem right she wasn't here, right when they were heading back to Elm for some food and rest. Oh God, it hurt.


	3. Not The Expected Welcome

**P3 Not The Expected Welcome**

It was the hope of a warm place to sleep that kept the two walking. They were exhausted, walking through the forest. The trees were slowly getting smaller, a sign that they were nearing the edge of the woods.

"Oh my God, Crystal." Marina looked up at him, eyes narrowed in sudden tension. She followed his pointed finger to a large scorch mark. It was concentrated around a clump of of blackened something or other. Gold frowned and ran to it, kneeling down with a skid. He sighed a sigh of relief, leaning back on his heads and tilted his hat up with one hand so he could scratch his head.

"...?" Crystal came forward, kneeling beside him and inspecting the blackened clump. It was the scorched body of a Golbat. She hadn't been able to recognize it because its wings had been burnt off.

"It isn't one of ours... I don't think I know anybody that uses a Golbat." Gold stood up, bouncing on the balls of his heels to do so, and slapped Crystal on the back, "A'ight! Let's keep truckin'!" His enthusiasm hid his anxiety, as his eyes swept around, taking in the damaged trees and ground. Obviously a struggle. An everyday, wild Golbat didn't need that much heat to take it down. Crystal was sweeping the area too, when she pushed herself up with her arm, and then fell back down with a hiss. Gold turned immediately at her plight, and knelt down, "Crys?"

"S'no problem..." Crystal said and then hissed in annoyance as Gold jerked down her jacket. He stared at the skin of her bared left arm. What wasn't pus filled boils was purple, and what wasn't purple was a creeping red. Gold stared at the flesh, and realized by what she'd been hit by.

"That guy's Wheezing..." Gold said and trailed off. Crystal nodded once, and then pulled up her jacket gingerly. Gold stared at her again, then stood up and wrapped an arm around her, helping her up. He knew why she didn't tell him. She didn't want him to worry, and didn't want it to be a problem that caused them to slow down. She ignored it, so so did he.

"We gotta hurry. Elm might need help." With a shared look of camaraderie, they took off at a steady jog. He didn't say that she might need help too, but he was sure thinking it.

Crystal and Gold ran straight through the gatehouse, slamming doors open. There was a startled screech, and Gold yelled in surprise as he trampled over Elm who was kneeling down and picking something up, and wound up flinging himself over him to keep from stepping on him, and fell face down on the ground, slamming his already bloodied hands into some rocks. Call groaned in pain as he rolled over to see Elm trembling and standing up, eyes wide in shock. Crystal was leaning against the door, somewhat amused.

"Good to see you're alive, Elm." Crystal greeted. Elm smiled at her, his eyes brightening like she was good news. Gold grunted at the lack of concern, and stood up, dusting himself off.

"Yeah, good news." Gold huffed, crossing his arms and putting them over his head.

"Is everyone okay?" Crystal stared at Elm. Elm's face, which had brightened considerably, fell once again.

"No, no, everyone's not okay." Elm stared at them, and then looked behind them, realizing that Kotone wasn't there. His face paled, "L-let's go inside..." He ushered them inside a house that wasn't his. The owner was more than likely never coming back anyways.

"She's gone? Taken?" Elm looked in surprise at Gold and Crystal, even though he already knew she was gone by her absence, switching between the two of them. Gold nodded grimly. Crystal went over and collapsed onto a mat on the floor, exhausted. They'd trekked for a solid two sleepless days, through two fierce battles to get here. Gold was too wired, and crossed his arms, standing against the wall. He'd hit his second wind and adrenaline There was a heavy silence, thoughts of Kotone's fate occupying them. Elm sighed heavily, "Then her fate is as Vincent's." Gold looked at him.

"As Vincent's...?" Gold asked.

"Vincent is dead." Elm sat heavily, weighted down in grief for his son.

"Elm, I'm so sorry." Crystal sat up, eyes dark with sadness for this Professor who had been her friend for a long time.

"There's nothing that can be done." Elm smiled weakly, but tears made his eyes watery. It was too soon.

"How?" Gold piped up, his fists clenching.

"We were... well, I, Vincent, Kurt and Maisy, we were all scavenging-"

_Elm's Memory:_

_"Maisy, the Pecha Berrys are-"_

"_-on the right, I know Grandpa, I know." Maisy skipped ahead of the small group, already on her way to the patch that hid the Pecha Berries. Despite Vincent being bigger and older, he was trailing behind her and listening to her instructions. Kurt chuckled behind her, chomping on the stem to his pipe._

"_I bet she's going to get a mouth on her, Kurt. You better watch out. She already knows everything." Elm teased his friend. When offered the pipe, Elm hesitated for only a second before taking it. It wasn't as if he normally smoked, and now was as good a time as any to relax some rules._

"_I know. They just grow up so fast." Kurt quietly muttered, "She already knows where all the White Apricorns grow, and she's learned the Red, Green and Blue. She'll be able to find Black soon. And just to show me how much she doesn't need me, she got Vincent to show her the berries."_

_ "Oh, no, Kurt, she needs you."  
"No she doesn't." Kurt smiled affectionately at Maisy, who was pulling apart briars with Vincent, trying to get at the food within, "She's a smart cookie." Kurt huffed, suppressing a mingled feeling of regret and pride at her growing up. Elm nudged his pal as they handed the pipe back and forth, Elm doing most of the chattering, Kurt just grunted to show he was listening. Kurt paused, listening through the chattering of the other three, "Quiet." Elm stopped in mid sentence, holding his breath, but Maisy and Vincent kept chattering, oblivious, "Quiet you two!" Kurt snapped. Maisy stopped, turning her now widened eyes to her Grandpa._

_ "Vincent!" Maisy snatched Vincent by his hand, tightening her grip as they both fell silent._

"_Doesn't it seem quiet, friend?" Kurt listened intently, his hand sliding behind him to his Pokeball. Elm frowned deeply, squeezing his hands. Everyone in their group tensed when uniformed people, mostly men, came filing out of the forest._

"_Finally, we made it through that damned forest!" One man near the front was grinning at Kurt and Elm, his eyes darting to the children who quickly ran behind them. No longer were Maisy and Vincent knowledgeable and bright. Right now they were nothing but scared children._

"_Slowpoke!" Kurt heard the snap of a Pokeball as Maisy released her Pokemon. Two black clothed grunts with those big red R's plastered on their chests, guffawed at her._

"_Aw, how cute, a little Slowpoke! I thought we'd killed all of them!"_

"_Naw, I guess not, but look! It's tail is gone! We did get to it!" The two laughed as their leader smirked at the group before him._

"_Yeah, so, give us what we want and maybe your Slowpoke will stay alive, along with you. Capeesh?" Kurt crossed his arms, a scowl on his face even as six more grunts filed up beside the other three, huffing from the long hike. When they saw people, a dozen Golbats were released, along with a small group of Raticate and Ekans._

_Kurt threw his Pokeball suddenly, and all eyes went to it. It hit the ground, but there was nothing, no light, no rattle, no Pokemon. Instead, his Noctowl swooped in from behind where it had been gliding and circling and attacked the Rocket group battering several with its wings and beak and talons, throwing Golbats violently out of the air. When they tried to regroup, Noctowl's eyes flashed in a Psychic attack, dealing with the rest._

"_Its a sneak attack!" The leader snarled, releasing his Arbok and having it whirl on the Noctowl. Noctowl was busy tearing the snakes apart with talons when the Arbok chomped it from behind, crumpling its wing. The Arbok was hit by a piece of ground ripped up by a Rock Throw from Kurt's Machop, which had actually been in its Pokeball. The leader snarled at him, and Kurt only smiled grimly._

"_It takes more than numbers to win a battle." As Kurt was fighting, Elm was busy grabbing the children, but Maisy slipped through his fingers, her Slowpoke waddling after her._

"_WATER GUN!" Maisy screeched in terror as a Raticate came at her. Her Slowpoke released its attack, but her Pokemon was weak. It's water was barely a stream in the air. The Raticate leapt through the water and straight at her, biting into her arm. Vincent yelled in horror as the huge rat started to drag her into the big mess of a fight, and went after her. It wasn't long before she was dragged away into the bushes screeching. Her Slowpoke moaned after her, frantic but too slow to follow. Instead it shot useless shots of water at the flying bats, missing most shots._

"_You're pathetic, old man!" A Rocket screeched as Kurt grunted when his Machop was thrown into him, making him fall to the ground. The Grunt came forward, snatching Vincent, who was fighting with his Bayleef. A flurry of Wing Attacks and the creature was on its knees. Like its master, Bayleef wasn't much of a prime fighter. Vincent was dragged forward, held up on his tiptoes by his arm. Kurt wheezed as he looked up at the group, which had been diminished by his Psychics and Rock Throws, but still wasn't beaten. Elm hurried forward, pulling Kurt up to his feet._

_ "Vincent! Vincent!" Elm cried out, shaking and clutching Kurt's arm. Kurt was trying to clear a path to the bush where Maisy had disappeared but when he saw the man grabbing Vincent, he quickly started on the man's Golbat. Sadly, Kurt's Pokemon was battered back again, and Machop went down on a knee, gasping for air._

_ "Now, ya see, Elm, you ran from us! You don't run from Team Rocket, you don't run from Giovanni." The Grunt grinned as he lifted Vincent onto his feet, higher, "We only wanted some of your papers, and to prick your BRAIN a little!"  
"Please don't-" Elm whimpered, breath catching in his throat. It hurt to see Vincent strung up between these men, obviously so much bigger than him._

_ "And now you gotta pay the price!" The Grunt held Vincent up by his neck and snapped his fingers. His Arbok's jaws snapped onto the back of Vincent's neck and ripped him from the Grunt's hand. Vincent gagged and let out a choking noise as the Arbok used Thrash and started slamming him side to side into the ground, biting into his neck and breaking it before throwing him to the side and hissing. The Grunt stared at their faces with a grin widening his face. He really liked this new power he'd obtained in the ranks of team rocket. No more being a stupid salesman. He could make people flinch in fear as he walked past. He didn't have to beg for their money._

_Elm's eyes unfocused in shock as he watched Vincent's life, his promise at a life and future leak out with his blood onto the ground. He started to shake, all his muscles clenching and flashing with cold flashes of dread and terror. Elm tensed as the Grunts came closer, one grabbing his arm. He snarled and tried to shake them off, but the Grunt just grinned and held on tightly._

_ "Time's up old man-" He cut off as there was a rustle, and they all saw a man at the edge of some bushes, his leg guards easily letting him walk through the thorns, his body and clothes covered in black._

_ "Sunny Day, Fire Blast!" A bright, bright fake sun lit up the surrounding area. Everyone flinched, covering their eyes or squinting blindly, and then the grunts were overcome by fire. There was screeching as the man came walking out slowly behind his Houndoom who was also advancing slowly, and blasting the enemies with a continuous stream of fire. Their screeches had quickly evaporated into nothing as they were obliterated into mounds of charcoal._

_ "Moby!" Elm sniffled and came forward to the charcoal man. His Farfetch'd, who had used Sunny Day, was hopping up to them and clattering it's beak. Kurt came forward and started talking after it became apparent that Elm was in no frame of mind to talk. Elm was staring at Vincent's body, who happened to now be partially abolished by fire. He was whining and sobbing gently. Kurt put his arm around his friend, knowing he would need support, and sure enough Elm turned and put an arm around him, staring miserably at Vincent's body. There would be no bringing him back, his body was melded to the ground._

_ "We have to go, Maisy is still out there." Kurt said and let go of Elm, hobbling forward. No matter in how good of a shape he thought he was in, these times were trying, he was tired, and he needed to get to Maisy before he crumpled, "Your little pup has sure gotten big and strong." Kurt said casually, trying to keep the spirit calm, and glanced at the Houndoom who stared back haughtily._

_ "Yes, well. He's always been very strong. Strong to make the hottest fire. I just…. took away his Everstone." Moby said and stared sideways his dog as they walked before rubbing its head affectionately. Elm did not converse, just stayed silent and stared at his feet, alternating between tears and dry eyes. Kurt went silent, as did Moby, and they continued on, trying to look for Kurt's grandbaby._

"And we didn't find anything, nothing of hers at least. All we found were some remnants of ice. Probably an ice Pokemon. Kurt is sleeping, and Moby went off to… to obliterate evidence that could lead to us." There was silence as they took in the fact that Vincent's body was part of the evidence. As Elm finished his tale, they were all silent. Maisy was gone too, her fate unknown, and Vincent was dead.

"I can't deal with this." Elm plopped his face into his hands.

"Don't say that, Elm. We got this. We got this." Gold went over to Elm, wrapping his arm around the Professor's shoulders.

"How can you say that? They're the ones that got this. We're all hiding like trapped animals. For months! And because I didn't give them my research, they killed Vinny. They killed him! Team Rocket is winning!" Elm slumped against the table he was sitting at, his arms wrapped around his head as he sobbed, "It's all over the news. Giovanni let the radio and tv stations stay open. He makes tallies of every city that he has destroyed! We had to watch as one by one, as Kanto was taken! Pewter, Cerulean, Pallet, Viridian… all of them were destroyed one by one! And all the rest! The only thing left standing is the Indigo Plateau, and they aren't letting anyone in! The Elite Four have abandoned us! No one knows where all the Gym Leaders are… Giovanni is a Gym Leader himself, and… and he took all of their communications away…. And my poor Vinny…. Death has started for Johto!"

"But if you'd given in, they would have killed him anyways, or worse, kept him and tortured him like the Pokemon they keep." Crystal moved over beside, patting his shoulder, "You know they would have. His death was quick."

"Its us that have to suffer." Elm sobbed, his head shaking as he cried against the table, "We have to live in this nightmare. We're expected to live on!" Elm sobbed. He turned and wrapped his arms around Crystal. He did not see the look of pain on her face, but Gold did. Elm was squeezing her wounds. When Gold moved forward, somewhat irrationally angry thinking of throwing Elm off, Crystal glared at him. And if she hadn't wanted to alert Elm, she would have snarled. Gold stopped in his tracks, and Crystal bent over and let Elm squeeze some pain out of her. She comforted him as he sobbed.

Later, Elm was downstairs and treating the wounds of what was left of the trainers' Pokemon. They needed to be fit for their next mission. Gold and Crystal were settled upstairs on a single bed. Crystal's jacket was off and she was laying face down on the bed and Gold was pouring antibiotics over her wounds and lancing her boils. She didn't make a peep, but when she sat up with her wounds bandaged, her face was shiny with sweat and had become red.

It honestly felt like the whole world was crumbling. From the way Giovanni was broadcasting the big red R so blatantly on national television, it was a takeover. He was on region number two, and why would he stop at the rest? What was the most horrifying was that most didn't even know his face, only a few had actually seen his face, and most of those people were missing in action. No one knew when Rocket was coming for them until the R was already in their face.

Gold and Crystal sat silently together and stared out the window at the stars, feeling their losses.


	4. Unwilling Goodbye

P4..::..Unwilling Goodbye

* * *

Note: From here on out, I will address characters as their game names for the sake of clarity, unless otherwise stated. Example, Marina = Crystal, Cal = Gold.

* * *

It was the crack of dawn, and Gold and Crystal where up and about. As much as they both wanted to sleep, neither had really been able to get there. Crystal had slept even less then Gold. He'd managed at least six hours, but when he'd gotten up she had been laying staring at the ceiling. Her faced had been exhausted, but when Gold had gotten up, so had she.

Now they were out a ways from Azalea. They walked along the path, mud sucking at their bare feet. They'd both thrown away their shoes at the evening before. What with walking through embers, ash, glass, toxic sludge and whatever else, they'd definitely needed an upgrade. Together, they walked until they reached the Slowpoke Well. They stared at the well, remembering past days where they had triumphed against Rockets. On that day they had felt like heroes. They had ended the suffering of Slowpokes. All they'd really done had been to help an old man, and chase away some punks.

Gold stared off for a moment and grimaced. He remembered that hair suddenly, the bright blue blazing dye. One of those punks had been one of those crazy goons that had chased them out of Goldenrod. One of those monsters in man skin that had burnt everything to cinders.

Him and Crystal maybe have been prodigies, but that didn't mean they could do jack shit. Those punks just became something worse. They were bullies with power. Bullies that had found their way to the top. Gold stared, his face slowly twisting into rage. They hadn't managed to change anything back then. Only put off the inevitable. The Slowpoke were gone. The man had obviously come back for them. And if that blue haired man hadn't, some other punk had.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRHHHNN!" He stomped over to the well and started trying to kick a stone loose. He stomped, and stomped and didn't manage to move a thing. He switched tracks and went over to the forest line and planted his foot on a trunk. He grabbed a branch and heaved, jerking it back and forth. He managed to rip it away, and chucked it into the woods. He huffed angrily, and then walked back over to Crystal's side, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Crystal just stood and stared at the top of the ladder that went down into the well.

"If they are willing to come back here for some measly Slowpokes… they probably will for Elm. I mean, they don't know we moved him here now, but… this is one of the cities well known on the map." Crystal said.

"Yeah." Gold twisted his cap on his head and swiped at his forhead, aggravated, "But he's not going to run again, he's too cowardly. He already had to run once. He ain't gonna do it again." Gold said. Crystal didn't say anything, she knew that it was true. Elm was definitely smart, but he wasn't tough. He didn't have the stamina and grit to fight off the world when the world's burden got heavy. Especially when the world came in the form of violence.

"We cannot let them get his work." Crystal stated, her eyes shifting to Gold, "And he won't protect it, no matter how important it is. With the stuff he's been working on lately, it could be really… bad." With heavy looks at each other, they turned back around.

"We should just drag him along with us." Gold grit out, already aggravated at the idea of Elm resisting.

"He won't go, Gold." Crystal said softly.

"But he HAS to go, he's going to die!" Gold growled and frustration. He leaned down to pick up some rocks and started chucking them in the woods, picking branches to hit.

"... He may know that. I think... he's just tired and looking for an excuse to quit. He's never been a fighter."

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Gold yelled.  
"Gold!" Crystal glanced at him, "Be quiet. Someone may hear and make his end sooner than later." Gold quieted down grumpily. They carried on for a minute before Crystal began again, "I know you don't understand. Something happens to you, you fight back no matter what. But to Elm, that is despair. Having to fight every single time, in a time where it doesn't stop. He doesn't want to live in a world like this. He's a pascifist. More than likely, this world is a Hell to him. Him having to keep hiding. Seeing the children he gave Pokemon to having to do the fighting. It's not right."  
"It's not right, but it's gotta be done! I mean, who else is gonna help fight? And he should fight too, he's got knowledge! He's a freakin' Professor!"

"And what are we going to do, drag him like we had to do Kotone?" Crystal answered wearily. Gold didn't have a response to that.

"DAMMIT!" This time when he screamed, Crystal didn't say anything to scold him.

"Let's go back Gold." Crystal said. Gold didn't say anything more. He just walked behind her sulkily. It pissed him off that he felt like crying.

Back at the house, they found Elm staring at the screen of the TV. All channels had been cut since the attacks, except for the news. No way was an entertainer going to keep playing for gold star entertainment when this was going on. Most of the stations were in Goldenrod, both TV and radio. So all that was left was him. They both had niggling feelings crawling up their spines when they heard Giovanni on the screen. It freaked them out in unimagineable ways to see him finally starting to reveal himself. Giovanni was on the screen, alebeit shadowed. They knew what he looked like vaguely, having seen him from a far in fights. They had tried to avoid him and that mammoth of a Pokemon Nidoking. That thing was the biggest they'd ever see. Only Red and Gary had managed to fight him face to face and live.

"Now is the time, Johto, to bend the knee. Give your Pokemon up, or there will be death." There were panning shots of trainers and Pokemon on the ground, obviously dead. Gold just about threw something when he saw that blue haired punk standing with a whip taunt between his hands, his boot upraised on a Dragonite's head. Another one stood beside him Goldmly. The Goldm deamnor was diminishe by the fact that his Houndoom had a broken looking Marowak in it's maw, "As you can see, you don't have many options." The camera switched back the man. He may have been in shadows, but the camera panned right past him to his view of the city from his tower. Their were fires everywhere. Little ant like people were scurrying around, but not many. Most were probably in hiding. It cut back to Giovanni, when there was static and another, newer video.

Professor Oak was on the screen. He looked chipper and was grinning.

"Hello Kanto!" He exclaimed. Elm sat up in his chair, almost quivering, "Fear not, for our Task Force is working to root out the evil Team Rocket! Just hold on, and we- The Elite Four-" This time, Oak's camera panned to the Elite Four. Lorelei was standing beside her Dewgong Goldmly, Agatha with two Gengar floating subserviantly behind her. Will and Karen were standing side by side, Xatu and Houndoom standing beside them gallantly. Finally, the camera went to Lance. Lance was standing casually, grinning. He was surrounded by his fierce looking dragons. Three Dragonites, a Gyaorodos, a Charizard and Aerodactyl, "-Will rescue you! Stand up to them! Forces are on the way- we-"

The video cut off to show Giovanni standing Goldmly, the grin still on his face.

"How cute. A show of force. You have been warned." The video cut off to static.

"Kids, it's fine! Oak's got this under control. He has always been a magnificent fighter!" Elm turned to them, his eyes shining brightly. Crystal and Gold exchanged glances.

"I know Professor but-" Crystal started.

"No, he has to be working with the Elite Four! He knows all the Champions!" He said smiling. Crystal looked at his smile, seeing the strained emotions there. Sure Professor. Pray to the people who will save you, but dig a well while your doing it.

"Professor-"

"No, Crystal." Elm said and turned back to watch the footage. It was repeating now. Crystal stared at it. She thought for sure that she had seen him saying something very similiar back in another shop in a previous city.

"Crystal?" Gold said and distracted her. She turned to him, and damn did his eyes seem dark. Crystal stood up and walked to him, making sure to keep her voice low. She didn't want to have the Professeor try and fight them. She just didn't have the heart for it. And she knew that if they took both, they'd have to choose between saving his research or him. She didn't much feel like she could live with herself right now. She remember helping him in the lab since she was a young tot with an aptitude for science.

"Come on Gold. Let's go and... get his stuff. I have a nagging feeling that this town won't be here much longer." They left Elm stared at the screen, that was no static. He couldn't seem to quit staring, hoping for another message from Oak.

It didn't take Crystal long, in the next room, to get his research gathered. She'd been there since she was young. It was mostly her wading through the stuff. Gold had never really been allowed in here. She went through Elm's researching, saving all of it on zip drives. She stuffed these in a fire and shock proof case for safe keeping. She riffled through his books, but decided that these would have to stay. They were too heavy to make it. She stared for a long time at them, before getting Gold to move them, tell them to hide them in the Slowpoke cave. They moved them throught the window, so Elm wouldn't see. While he was gone, Crystal looked around the room quietly. Shen then heard Gold climb through the window. It was done. Anymore lingering would be done for her own emotional weakness, and not for any clear purpose. So, they had to go.

When Crystal turned around, Gold held out his hand to her. There were two Pokeballs. Crystal's eyes narrowed. She wanted to slap them out of his hand, but took them instead, and attached them to her waste. They were to replace her fallened comrades.

"I thought you should have a flyer, and another fighter. Just in case." He stared into her eyes solemnly.

"Thank you, Gold." He nodded at her thanks. He took the bag from her and rolled it into a roll, and put it into his backpack. With that, they walked out of the lab. Elm didn't even ask what they had been doing in his lab, he just turned to them with a tired smile and waved his hand at the table. Perhaps he didn't want to know, or he was too weary to notice. Either way, they counted it towards good on their part. There would be less drama.

"I supposed that you would be going. Here. Some new shoes." He smiled at them, and Crystal went over and hugged him tightly. She lingered, hot misery stuck in her throat. She didn't want to let him out of her sight. It felt like she would never see him again. He was like a father to her. After all, her own mother was emotionally unstable, and her father was gone. Probably for good reason, with her mother acting so crazy. But the Professor had always spent time with her.

"Good bye Professor... Thank you. For everything." She stopped herself from spilling everyting. The thank yous for giving her her first Pokemon. For allowing her into his lab, and letting her see Pokemon she had never dreamed of seeing- even those from other regions.

"Bye, Elm." Gold came up grinning, and knocked arms with him. Elm laughed a little when Gold did that with him.

"Goodbye kids. Off to get some more supplies?"

"Yup." Gold said and grinned. He backed up, waving at the Professor. He nudged Crystal out the door. On the way up the Route, away from what could very well be the last of their family, Gold put his arm around Crystal's shoulders. They were shaking from her sobs.

"I don't want to leave him, Gold."

"I know. But I know you were right. He won't come." They walked miserably up the Route slowly, for Crystal to collect herself. FInally, she hitched up her backpack, ignoring the painful blisters that were still on her skin.

"We have to make sure this counts, Gold. We can't let him- we can't let his research go to waste."

"We will. Now come on kid, let's go make 'em pay!"

* * *

**"Sure Professor. Pray to the people who will save you, but dig a well while your doing it." Paraphrase of "Pray to God for rain, but dig a well as you do it." Meaning, go ahead and pray but don't rely solely on it.**


	5. The Business of Information

Part 5 Dead City

Kotone sobbed, screamed, squalled and oh so much more as she was dragged. Proton's Victreebel was dragging her by its vines.

**So that's where I am.** Kotone thought in her head frantically, *I'm not that far, they can still come and get me.* She looked at the dim buildings, devoid of light. Team Rocket had cut power to the city, to save their resources. That's why she hadn't recognized it, until they had been walking through the city for over an hour. Goldenrod had been a place of light, so much light that at night the night almost seemed like a small day beneath the stretch of dark night above, everything lit with orange and yellow lights. This wasn't Goldenrod anymore, it was the skeleton of the city.

Out in the night, under the stars over Goldenrod, barely anything but the tallest tower remained standing. Although the other Rocket hideouts had been found out, the one in the Underground, the one in Mahogany, and some others… the tallest tower in Goldenrod had remained hidden and secretive. In plain, glorious sight. Around the tower, in what used to be a bustling city and where Cal, Marina and Kotone had been previously running was now mostly a wasteland of ash and crumbling buildings. A great sweeping area of blackened things. A warning to the world. A warning that all that fought him would fail, and only what Giovanni wanted to stand would stay standing. It was through this debris that Kotone was being driven. They had continued until they came to the tall Rocket tower that was in the middle of the city, where Kotone was being taken to the front door. He drove her up the stairs to the glass door.

Kotone made a low mewling sound deep in her throat as she was dragged up the stairs. Her feet were exhausted, and blistering, and her stomach had a stitch in it. Her face felt swollen from where Proton's whip had hit her when she had tried to run.

"Damn girl, don't you ever shut UP?" Proton snapped and shook the whip. It was lashed around her neck and digging in. Every time she resisted, or stopped in exhaustion, she was tugged along and it bit into her neck. Now, when she whined, he shook it and opened up the cut on her neck. Kotone started to cry. Proton whirled on her, teeth bared and eyes wild, "SHUT UP!" He kicked her in her chest, and sent her falling to the ground, where she lay crying. He stomped on her knee when she wouldn't stop. Seeing her tears continue was rage inducing. He lifted his boot to smash something else when a young woman ran up to him, coming from out of the building.

"Proton, sir!" She greeted. With a glance up at her, he looked back down to Kotone and kicked her in the gut, sliding her over the asphalt. The woman came closer, a smile on her face, "Would you like me to take the prisoner sir?" She tucked her bright pink hair back under her cap and smiled brightly at him. She had been waiting for him, watching on the cameras.

"That might.. be…. Best." Proton grit out, letting out a long, hissed sigh. That Kotone was making him feel more than pissed was pretty obvious to him. He'd probably end up killing her. He couldn't stand mewling. If you had the stones to survive this long, you might as well be prideful about it.

"Actually, we need to take her up to Giovanni. He wanted to see any helpers that Elm had." Proton stared blankly for a minute, rubbing at his wrists. "Get her cleaned up. We take her up in an hour. I have to go do something first."

"I'm g-gonna meet Giovanni?" Kotone's voice came out as a squeak, her eyes wide and showing a lot of white. Proton blew out an exasperated sigh through gritted teeth.

"Oh, honey, no no. You don't get to meet the boss." Proton turned to her, his legs spread apart, and he hit his open palm with his folded whip, "I get to get the information out of you. It's not a meeting at all." Another thump to his palm, "He wouldn't dirty his hands on something like this- although I don't think he'd mind, I, personally, love doing it myself." He started to laugh, loud and harsh. Kotone shrunk back, shaking. He couldn't enjoy this, could he? He couldn't possibly?

"Mr. Proton Sir? Giovanni said he wants her now." The woman said brightly. Kotone stared at her, wondering how in the world this pretty petite woman couldn't be afraid of someone like him. Proton laughed and turned his smile to Kotone.

"Today's your lucky day. The only man I take orders from says he wants you now." He laughed again, "Take her away Neon." He walked away, curling his whip up so it could be attached at his hip.

"T-Thank God." Kotone whispered. She gingerly touched her neck, and the slice of skin that had been chaffed off around her neck. She stood up shakily, glad that a woman was taking care of her.

"Welp, we gotta go." Neon said cheerfully, "Lickintung!" Kotone turned to see a Pokeball light vanish and then a pink tongue was flying towards her. She squeaked briefly before the tongue whipped around the back of her neck and slapped wetly over her mouth and nose. She panicked, trying to pull back away from the Pokemon but it ground its feet it and held her easily there, "You gotta be good girl." Neon smiled brightly at her as she started to see black spots. Her muscles tightened, and she knew paralysis was setting in from the Lick. Neon let her fall to her knees before she called the Lickingtung off, "Licky, let her breath. Drag her."

The Pokemon's tongue loosened enough so it slithered down and wrapped around her arms and waist and it started to drag her, following it's master. Kotone attempted to curl up, but then just went limp, sliding along the hump of the front door and then was squeaking along tiles. The rubbing made her cuts ache. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too weary, so she just stayed limp and go dragged. Thank God the woman wasn't walking too quickly, and thank God she had fallen in here instead of out there along briars, or asphalt. Little favors.

What kind of place had she been taken to? She shivered as Neon went up to an elevator door and pushed the button. She turned and stared at Kotone for a moment.

"You'd better give Giovanni all the information that he needs." Neon smiled at her and then walked into the elevator. Lickintung walked in and then reeled her into the elevator.

"Where am I... Where are you taking me?" Kotone asked.

"You'll see when you get there." The elevator didn't go far. Kotone couldn't see through tear blurred eyes, but they must have only gone two or three floors before they stopped at the bing of the elevator. By this time, Kotone was standing she was being walked forward. She stared around blankly. She had been expecting a dungeon, or cages, or something. Maybe even a lab. But it was like an office space. A long central walkway, with office and supply doors on either sad. There was even a fax machine standing in an anclove. It was *very business-y.

They walked forward until they came to the end of the hallway. Neon walked up to the door and knocked.

"Enter." A deep male voice said. Neon promptly entered into the conference room, walking Kotone behind her.

There was a man in a black suit and a large R on the breast of it. Beside him, on either side, was Koga and Sabrina. She stared in awe between the three. She knew that this man must be Giovanni. Neon had told her, that's who she was meeting. But Koga, an Elite Four member, was here. And Sabrina was a Gym Leader. They might have been prisoners. Kotone mentally shook her head. Marina had told her to stop being naive. No, they were free. They were with him. They should have been the regions protectors, but apparently they were not.

"Hello, Kotone." The man who must be Giovanni beckoned her forward, to sit at a chair in front of him. The tongue of the Lickintung dropped from binding her, and she timidly walked forward, sitting on the chair. In front of this man, she felt small and weak. He was taller than her sitting down. And her skin showed through her tattered clothing, one rip going up almost to her her armpit. Bruises were blooming over her arms, blood caked her neck where the whip had dug in, and debris was all over her. Sitting in front of him in his clean suit made her feel small. And he knew her _name_.

"Hello." She answered in a small voice.

"So, where did they take you from?" Giovanni asked.

"T-the outskirts of Goldenrod." She answered.

"Where were you headed?" He asked. Kotone swallowed dryly. She had been heading to the professor's. She stared around at Koga and Sabrina. Sabrina was sitting back, deep in her chair and staring very blankly at her. An Abra was sitting on her lap, apparently sleeping. She'd been so fixated on Giovanni that she hadn't noticed it there, "Kotone." Giovanni's voice snapped her back, "Where were you headed?"

"We were gathering supplies. To eat. Food?" She said. Giovanni nodded at her answer.

"Who was with you? He asked, and Kotone paused. She didn't like saying their names, not to him, but that creepy guy had already seen them both.

"Gold and Crystal."

"Where were you three taking the supplies to?"

"We didn't really have a set place. We just had to find a place to... to hide..." She stared into his eyes, her pulse racing, knowing that he was the reason that she had had to run and hide. He was the reason Marina's Pokemon were dead, and all the other Pokemon and Trainers she had seen through the streets.

"Half lies." Sabrina spoke up abruptly, "You had a destination." Kotone looked over, about to look her in the eyes, and then looked down, lip shaking. She was a Psychic trainer. What if she met eyes with her, and she could read her mind?

"Where were you going?" Giovanni asked again.

"Azalea..." She answered in a very little voice. Giovanni glanced at Sabrina, but she didn't speak again, only stared at Kotone.

"Why Azalea?"

"It's where we were hiding. It had a house there, and a well for water." Kotone answered, a tear going down her cheek.

"Who else was there?" He asked.

"No." Kotone sobbed, scared to give the Professor's name.

"Silly girl. You already gave us the location. Who else was there?" Koga spoke up.

"Just us." Kotone said, another tear going down the other cheek now.

"Lies." Sabrina spoke again. Kotone burst into tears, covering her face, panic settling deep into her brain and lungs. She started breathing fast. Now, she would have to decide whether to tell them, or not. What were they going to do to her? Sabrina was the lie detector, what was Koga here for? She was so afraid to find out.

"Kotone. I am not a patient man." Giovanni stared at her, leaning forward.

"No, I don't want to tell you." She sobbed. She couldn't even lie, because Sabrina was there, doing whatever it was that she was doing.

"Koga." Giovanni sat back. Koga tapped a Pokeball on his belt, and a Toxicroak came out. Koga didn't even look at her, just issued his command.

"Poison Jab." He commanded. Kotone jerked upwards, tears flowing freely, and knocked the chair over. She turned and tried to run, snapping the door open. She went right into a Barrier and stumbled backward. Neon was standing outside the door with a smirk, and her Mr. Mime was standing there, hands circling in front of it. The sparkles of the Barrier glinted in her eyes. She turned to face the frog, cowering back. It came forward and it's sharp spike stabbed into her side, breaking skin. With a cry of pain from her, it stepped backward, hunkering down like it was ready to attack again. She slid down the barrier and collapsed to the ground. Queasy waves started to hit at her stomach, and she knew she had been poisoned. It was like a early stages of a severe food poisoning rushing right at her within seconds.

"Kotone." Giovanni said her name, "Who was with you?"

"The Professooooor..." Kotone sobbed, hiding her face in her hands. None of the four people there moved to comfort her or do anything. The questions continued, most being answered honestly. There was two more times she felt horrified to answer, to afraid to give him the information that was needed. Both times she was attacked and left on the floor. When Giovanni was done with her, he looked up towards Neon.

"We're done here. Take her to a cell. Get her cleaned up, and give her an Antidote. We made need her for now." The Barrier sparkled and then zapped into non existence.

"Lickintung." Again the tongue was wrapped around her. She didn't even have the strength to attempt to stand. She had already been running for days before they had caught her. Now, she just felt like a shadow of herself. She passed in and out of consciousness, until she felt something dribbled into her mouth. She coughed a bit, but most of it went down. When she regained some consciousness, she was in a prison cell. She could hear Pokemon screaming, roaring, barking and chirping around her. She was with enslaved Pokemon.

She looked around weakly, and saw a bunk above her from where they had left her on the floor. She slowly rolled over and had to stop to breath. She crawled towards it, unable to put wait on her feet or knees apparently. When she got to the cot, she had no idea how to get up there. The Toxicroak had stabbed her in the legs the other two times she hadn't answered. She tried to pull herself up, and sobbed when she couldn't. She didn't have muscle. That was Gold and Marina. They were the strong ones. She tried to pull the blanket off of it, but nausea swam over her so badly that she started seeing things. Instead of getting a bunk or even a blanket, she crawled under it, curled up, and closed her eyes.

It felt like even her heart hurt. Not her physical heart, but her soul, her being, her center. Her brain felt sour. She sobbed gently, the sobs making the stab wound in her side ache. She felt like a piece of herself had been ripped away today. She felt less naive than the day before, and she didn't like it. How could those people just stand by and let her get hurt? How could they do that to someone living? Why were they after the Professor? Kotone started sobbing again, and she couldn't stop, even despite the pain in her side.

She had told them where the Professor was. She was weak. With a clarity she had never had before, Kotone knew that they were going to go after the Professor. She just hoped that Cal and Marina were there to protect him when they came. They were strong, they could survive. They could do anything.


	6. Communications

P6 Communications

"How on this Earth are we going to get a hold of the others?" Gold walked along Route 33 with Crystal, sighing. The TVs were and their PokeGears where out of order because of Team Rocket's interference. Crystal had briefly managed to find a channel that someone had been on, but had quickly turned it of when they heart what sounded like Rocket commands being made. They both would have liked to listen and try to attack, but or right now it was just the two of them and they didn't have enough force to take the fight to them. And oh boy, if they managed to track their signal somehow, which was very doable with the right Pokemon. They could be extinct in the time it took them to breath.

"If we can just get a hold of Silver, we could have reinforcements." Crystal said quietly.

"Yeah, but even if we DID have communication lines open, he never answers the damn phone. I've tried. He never wants to talk or meet up." Gold sounded grumbly at that.

"I know. But... Green knows him. Maybe if we can get her number, she can get a hold of him. Hm. But her parents are all the way in Pallet." Crystal held up her wrist and opened up the maps on her PokeGear, "That's a long ways awah-"

_Bring. Bring. Bring._

Crystal got a weird chill up her spine when the phone feature for a waiting call popped up.

"No way. I got a call." Crystal stared at her phone blankly, and feeling like she had no choice tapped it and opened the call, "Hello?"

"Oh thank goodness, Crystal!" A female voice spoke. Crystal couldn't place her, staring at her Gear with open confusion, "It's DJ Mary! Yano, 'Please tune in to me, for Professor's Oak's Pokemon Talk Show~!" At that line, Crystal perked up.

"Oh, right. Well, how did you get this up and running?" Crystal asked. Gold crowded close to her to stare at her screen.

"Well, I'm just really good at this kind of thing, yano. I've been trying to get a hold of someone else for days!'

"Really, who else have you gotten a hold of?" Crystal asked.

"I had Whitney's ears yesterday. I caught her as she was running away from Goldenrod. I'm here in Violet, hiding at the top of Sprout Tower for now. That's how I managed to get a hold of you. I'm high enough for the signal to reach you."

"Who else is with you?" Crystal asked.

"Listen, that's what I've been trying to get someone for. I haven't been staying up here, too open. Falkner's been guarding me up here as I tried to reach people. When we caught Whitney we told her to come here so we can get a hold of people farther away."

"So you can get people farther away?" Crystal gripped her Gear, awfully excited, "Look, Kotone was taken captive. We need someone to help get her free. If you have the phones cleared, then we could possibly get a hold of a Leader or Professor! We've been trying to get Green and Silver to help, but we can't reach them!"

"Oh no, all the Professor's and Leaders have checked out. Giovanni did a mighty good job of severing communications for us freedom fighters." Mary sounded exasperated, but that cleared when she started again, "But listen, listen! That's what we three were working on. I sent them to the Ruins of Alph. For some reason, the radios are being blocked out. I think they are interfering with my signals. I get mostly static. Falkner says it has something to do with the Unown, so they went to go see, but so far they haven't checked in since yesterday. Actually, I fear something must have happened to them. If you can check on them, we all might be able to get this thing sorted out and actually talk to someone who can DO something about this mess! We need to get together!"

"On it, Mary. Good thing you caught us, we're heading up Route 33 right now. We were headed to Violet to see if anyone was up there."

"Well, I'm glad you were on that Route. If you had decided to surf towards Olivine, my signal probably wouldn't have reached you." Mary breathed a sigh of relief, "But please. Falkner's got his police equipment that he was going to use to boost our signal. Find him. And oh- Have you heard from anyone else?" Crystal and Gold stared at each other, not wanting to give the bad news. When Gold saw the searing guilt on her face, he leaned forward.

"Hey, Gold here. Yeah, we got some news. Elm wouldn't come with us. We had to leave him in Azalea, where we were hiding, coming down from Goldenrod. Maisy's gone without a trace, and Vincent... Vincent's dead." There was silence over the line, "Moby, the charcoal man, was off searching for supplies. He hasn't been seen since he protected Elm from an attack."

"Well." Mary's voice was softer this round, "Let's just try to save who we can, okay? Come on kids. Just go to the Ruins, and we'll... We'll work from there."

"Wait, Mary. Where can we meet up with you?"

"Well... I was hiding out in the Union Cave. Before everything go shut off, I was in contact with Professor Oak... And I was thinking of going to Azalea..."

"Mary. Where can we get a hold of you? We can figure out where we're all going once we get back, with Whitney and Falkner."

"Well, I'll just hide out in the Sprout Tower, 'kay? Please hurry though. I feel too exposed."

"Alright, Mary. Over and out." Gold clicked the off button and looked at Crystal with a big grin, "Okay, Kris, we got ourselves a mission." Crystal smiled at him and they clacked their forearms together.

"Alright, Gold. Let's go." The duo headed further up Route 33 with the fire in theirs hearts rekindled a little bit.

The first thing they saw was a woman walking towards them. Both of them were alarmed, and went into the bushes. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't just be walking in the middle of the path with all this chaos going on. The woman, who appeared to be a psychic, walked past them. An Abra was hanging down her back, it's arms clasped around her neck. When she passed, Crystal moved forward.

"Good a time as any to try the fighter you gave me." Crystal called out her new Breloom. It shook it's tail at her and she rubbed it's head, "Come on guy."

"Welp, you got grass, I'll go with Donphan." Gold called out his Pokemon, and he had to grab it's trunk so it wouldn't trumpet at him, "Shh, buddy, glad to see you. Quietly, quietly." They walked forward. They got about halfway down the Route before three trainers broke away from the trees and stood in front of them.

"Well, hi there." Gold tried calling out.

"Gold." Crystal perked up. There were Abras on their shoulders. The Abras' hands were on their heads or necks, all of them, "Oh, shit." She turned around and that woman they had passed had walked up behind them. Her own Abra had it's head on her shoulder, "Mr. Mime, protect us from the single trainer!" A barrier went up as attacks started to fly. A bug catcher in front of them had his Butterfree use Psychic. Donphan flinched and then started Rock Throwing the hell out of that bug. Gold quickly realized that one wouldn't be enough, and Pinsir and Politoad were also out.

"Donphan, take down that bug! Politoad, keep the hiker from us!" Politoad engaged the Machoke and Graveler coming their way, "Pinsir, knock the hell out of that ace out of here!" Pinsir clamped is pincers on an incoming Electabuzz. The ace also sent out a Pidgeot. Despite the huge disadvantage, Breloom went at it headlong, hitting with a punch, and then threw a chunk of earth at it. Gold and Crystal both jerked to look behind them at the barrier that Mr. Mime had brought up behind them.

It was still up, but the psychic had her Kadabra fighting for control of it. A Haunter was rising over the barrier to attack them.

"DONPHAN! Drop that bug!" Donphan trumpeted and ran at the Butterfree and did a Rollout. The Butterfree was knocked out of the sky, and Donphan rolled towards them. Gold tried to hop backwards, away from the oncoming Haunter but it grabbed him with it's icy hands and started to lift him up. It's tongue licked over his face, and he started to feel suffocated and loose in his own body. The Donphan ramped off a piece of dirt and flew into the air, grabbing Gold around his middle and did a fall to the ground. Gold randomly roughly on his side, coughing and gasping.

The Haunter had tried to rip out his soul. A blast from over head from his Politoad had that ghost wailing as it got shot behind the barrier. It flickered briefly, whirling around it's trainer like it was getting ready to attack again. Gold looked to his frog to see it get hit from behind by the Machoke, who slammed it's fists into it's back. It had turned it's back to be attacked, all to get that ghost off him. Gold got up, teeth grit, "Donphan, Rollout that fucker!" Gold sent his Donphan to slam into the Machoke, and sent it flying back into it's trainer. They didn't have to worry about the Graveler; Politoad's water attack had seen to that, "Switch you two, Politoad, take that ghost and send it on!" Politoad's cheeks puffed, and water sprayed the Haunter as it rose and flew to Gold.

As the water was about to connect, the barrier broke in a spray of sparkling matter, and the Kadabra's spoons raised. Politoad raised in the air with it, and it squealed as Haunter hit it with a Sucker Punch. Between the punch and being squeezed by a Psychic, Polidtoad went limp.

"Mr. Mime! PSYCHIC!" Crystal turned to the Haunter with her Mr. Mime and sent a blast to it. The Haunter wailed and then flickered away, returning to it's ball. Gold called his Politoad back and turned to Donphan.

"Come on buddy! Finish it with an Earthquake!" Donphan reared up on it's hind legs and sent a shattered rip through the earth. Machoke got hit with the shake and fell back, fainting. The three trainers also wobbled on their feet and fell down. His Pinsir had leapt back from the Electabuzz, who was also taken out with the Earthquake. Donphan and Pinsir turned as one to face the Kadabra, but Breloom was kicking it back and stomping it into the ground. Gold and Crystal stood gasping for breath as they stared at the trainer's with the Abras. Now that their Pokemon were defeated they were walking forward towards them like they were going to attack them. Gold grit his teeth, "Come on, pal, use a minor earthquake. A Earthquake from Donphan and the trainers were on their asses. Gold ran forward towards them, and the Abras teleported away from them with the trainers.

"No!" Crystal called behind him, and he turned around. The psychic trainer had also been teleported away, with her Pokemon. Crystal turned to him and stared at Gold, "Whoever is controlling the Abras probably took care of Falkner and Whitney." She frowned seriously. If those two were okay, this Route would have been cleared. The two partner's revived Politoad and fed them a few Oran berries. They would have to save the hard medicine for bigger battles, and hope that the one in front of them wasn't too hard. They continued onward towards the Ruins.

When they reached the edge of the water that led to the Ruins, Crystal called out her new Staraptor that Gold had given her. It came out of it's ball and sat down so she could climb on its back. She flew across to land and sent it back for him. She looked around feeling tense, but nothing happened. They both walked to the ladder that went down, and Gold started down. The shaft was too narrow for her to fly beside him, so he was the one that got hit with the three Pidgeottos.

"GACK!" Gold fell off the ladder as the birds started to thrash him with wings and beaks. Crystal swooped down, hopping off the bird.

"Brave Bird!" Her huge bird slammed into the three and they got knocked down. She turned to face it's trainer, and ground her teeth in annoyance. There was Falkner, an Abra sitting on his shoulders. He pointed his hand forward, and the Pidgeot behind him slammed into the Staraptor, "You may be able to beat me in birds normally, Falkner, but not like this! Steel Wing!" Right before they were about to clash, Pidgeot glowed briefly and a Hyper Beam exploded from it's beak. Staraptor didn't have time to dodge, it hit is right in the beak, and sent it flying into the wall.

As it crashed to the ground, a Miltank came crashing into Gold's Pinsir, which he had just managed to call out, also slamming it backwards. Pinsir was slammed into the ladder, and the lower half snapped. Pinsir tried to get up, but a Granbull came barreling out of the darkness towards them.

"Hitmonchan!" Crystal called out to her Pokemon, and it came out of the ball. It tried to stop the roaring Granbull, but it too was shoved back. Whitney walked forward to stand next to Falkner, an Abra also on her shoulders. Sabrina is right behind her, and she is the only one with clear, thinking eyes. Crystal and Gold both attempted to call out their Pokemon. Sabrina raised both of her arms slowly, and snapped the hands up so they were flat towards them. In sync, so did the Pokemon behind her, an Alakazam. With that, both Crystal and Gold were forced to raise their arms just like them. They were left open to the three Pidgeotto who had recovered and started to chirp. They hopped forward and start to peck their legs.

Crystal tried to turn, hearing the sounds of pain coming from her Hitmonchan, but she couldn't manage, being stuck in a Psychic. Most trainers could only hit you with a blast from a Psychic, but Sabrina and Alakazam had them in a vicegrip. She was distracted from the pain of her Pokemon, but mostly all she could think about was the research that was in her backpack. If Sabrina was working with Team Rocket, oh god. Why hadn't she tried to leave the research somewhere before coming in here to find Falkner and Whitney?

Hitmonchan fainted behind her, as did Gold's Pinsir. The Miltank and Granbull turned towards the two captive trainers. Crystal glare defiantly at her captor. Gold grinned at her, teeth exposed. Neither would give her the satisfaction of being afraid. They didn't question why she was doing this. This just accepted it as that was what Team Rocket did. They destroyed lives to make money and gain power. Sabrina motioned a hand each at Whitney and Falkner. The arm hold was broken, but before Crystal and Gold could fight back, Miltank and Granbull were pinning them against the wall.

Sabrina turned back down the deep end of the tunnel, her arms outstretched in front of her. Her Alakazam was beside her, it's own arms outstretched, mimicking her. They were slowly walking back and forth along the corridor. Crystal and Gold looked at each other quickly, before staring back at her, wondering what she was doing. She went around a corner. They could hear her walking around for several minutes. By Gold's time, it was at least an hour. Crystal started to worry about Mary back in Sprout Tower, waiting for them. But she couldn't do anything. Every time she moved, Miltank would headbutt her.

Suddenly the walls started to glow and there was a squeaking all around them. Unown started to lift off the walls and went flying down the corridor towards Sabrina. There were several blasts of purple and pink light, and then one very bright green light. The squeaking of the Unown quit, and there was a click. Sabrina came around the corner, carrying a green case with black bands on it. When she got closer, Crystal could see little brown tiles with Unown symbols on them through the green glass of the case.

**Now what could she possibly want Unown for? They're pretty harmless...** Crystal stared at her as she palmed the case. Her Alakazam raised its hand and the case flew up to the light of the ground outside. Sabrina turned to the two, staring at them. Crystal and Gold tensed as her vision stayed on them. She was deciding theirs fates.

There was crumbling around the tunnel entrance, and all three looked towards it. Black boots descended the ladder, and for a split second both thought that it was Silver.

"So, I got an SOS." Kamon smiled as he turned away from the ladder. Gold breathed a sigh of relief as his original Rival stepped into the scene. Kamon had no love for them, but he definitely liked a challenge. Sabrina's eyes narrowed, and she glanced towards the ladder. Her precious cargo was up there, "I thought I was going to get a challenge, but this is cheap." A bright light and Kamon's Nidoking was out. A mighty Rock Throw and the three birds were down.

"KAZAM!" Alakazam's spoons made an X like it was about to attack, but not before a Shadow Sneak came down the ladder and shot at it, phasing it backwards. Haunted floated down into the tunnel, laughing and pointing at the stunned Alakazam. Before it could regain composure, a little shadow of a Pokemon darted forward and started slashing at it. Kamon's Sneasel was ripping gashes on its arm. Alakazam used a Focus Blast to get it away, but Sneasel just dodged and leapt to cling on the curved ridges of the wall, snickering at the missed attack.

"Please, I thought you two were in some real danger!" Kamon started laughing as his Nidoking stomped the three birds.

"Kamon, leave them alone, they're Falkner's Pokemon!"

"Yeah, well too bad! Looks like he's attacking me right now. Ooup! And Whitney too!" He turned to face Miltank and Granbull as they both tried to tackle Nidoking. It took one Pokemon in each hand and raised them up. With a Seismic Toss, both were slammed into the floor. Both were knocked out. Sabrina's eyes widened at this display of strength, "God, why did you two struggle so much? I don't know why the hell YOU losers were sent to save these two worthless idiots." Kamon stepped forward and pointed at Whitney and Falkner, "Haunter, Hypnosis. Sneasel, take care of that damn Alakazam." The fight for Whitney and Falkners' minds started, and they appeared to feel woozy, stumbling on their feet. Sneasel didn't get to attack Alakazam. Instead, zipped itself and Sabrina up and out of the tunnel after the container that she had been holding.

Crystal stared at him, amazed. Sure, they had worn the three down a bit, but for the most part, Sabrina and her two mind controlled goons had taken them down quickly.

"You're welcome." Kamon turned to them, and grinned at them like he'd just saved the world, "I just did what you couldn't. Those two are safe." Crystal breathed a deep sigh of relief. If Sabrina had thought to just check her backpack, then they might have really been in trouble. With a slow revelation, Crystal looked down at her feet. Since Professor Oak was incognito, and Elm was left behind, the only one who knew his research was her. She actually had been his assistant for years, and a lot of people knew that fact. She sometimes traveled with Elm. They'd probably be after her once Sabrina got back to the Rocket Headquarters and realized her mistake.

"Gold, we have to go to get Mary, now. She may know where Oak is, or a way to find him, or something." They both turned to stare at Kamon, "Can you help us get to Sprout Tower?" Crystal was loath to give him information, but they had no more revives, and not very many potions.

"Puh-lease. I got what I wanted, some experience. There's nothing left for me here. I already proved that you two losers couldn't handle it." Kamon answered, calling his Pokemon back into their balls, "I've got my own shit to do." He turned, and when Crystal tried to get in front of him, he shoved her hard to the side. She fell over, her legs still hurt from the Pidgeotto pecks. Kamon looked up at the ladder. When Gold looked at him like he wanted to fight, Kamon looked away from it and grinned, "What? You want something?"

Crystal hauled herself and piped up before Gold could get fighting mad.

"Actually, yes. If you give me your number, I can tell you when there are some Rocket Grunts hanging around. You always told me you hated them hanging out together. It made them seem weak." Kamon looked at her for a moment, and then up at the ceiling. When his eyes found hers again, he spouted off his number. Crystal whipped open her PokeGear and put it in quickly as Kamon hauled himself up the broken part of the ladder with no problem, and climbed up.

"Wait, Kamon!" Crystal called after him as he was climbing, "Have you seen your brother? We can't get a hold of Silver!" Kamon snorted at her question.

"I have better things to do than take care of him." With that, Kamon was gone. They could hear his boots stomping away.

"Well, he wasn't much help." Gold looked annoyed, his brow twitching. He'd never really liked Kamon. Besides Poke battling they really didn't have anything in common, and more than once their battles had ended in fist fights for the two of them.

"Not true. If we can call him before we save Kotone, he might help us." Crystal told him.

"Why didn't you just tell him about the plans now?"

"Because he would have just charged in by himself and not waited for our plan. We have to USE him, Gold. He won't listen to us." Crystal sighed, and heaved up her pack, "And anyways. We have to go get Mary. At least Sabrina did us one favor, the Unown are gone." She checked her PokeGear, "And yup, the weird signal is gone. Maybe Mary can get her signal out to some others." Crystal smiled, feeling a little bit more hopefully than she had in days. Gold grinned at her, until he saw her arm.

"Lemme hold your pack, Kris." Gold told her, staring at her arm. Crystal looked down at herself. There was blood dribbling down from her arm. The toxic place on her shoulder was apparently rubbing raw. In all the excitement, she hadn't really noticed.

"I'm okay."  
"Kris. Gimme. Your. Bag." Gold looked at her, and held out his hand. With a sigh, she gave it to him. Secretly relieved that the weight would be off it, "Just help me to the ladder and I can carry it all. Get Staraptor to carry those two. Donphan'll do the rest." Crystal hauled Gold up by his foot onto the ladder, and he scurried up. Crystal turned, returning all of Falkner and Whitney's Pokemon to their balls, and got her bird to carry them up, after using her last revive on it. She kicked a clump of wall near the wall and jumped off of it to reach the ladder. Once they got to the top, they headed towards Violet City, Donphan carrying the two trainers. The sun was going down, and they didn't want to be here long.


	7. Lab Work

P7 Lab Work

When Sabrina walked through the hallways of Rocket Headquarters, people moved out of her way. Few commanded a presence like she did. One assistant was not privy to this knowledge, and when she came too close, invisible hands shoved her into a wall. Sabrina walked past her, not caring about the box of research materials that were now on the floor, spilling out of the box. She desired space, and she would get it. Sabrina wasn't really known for her touchy feeling nature.

An older man walked behind her. If he had tried to run, the floating, cross-legged Alakazam behind him would have stopped him. He knew, because he could feel its aura behind him. It seemed to push him along, without the thing even touching him. It's power was like a little thick bubble around it. Although, its not as if he could get very far without that thing back there. He walked with a little wooden walking stick with a rounded top. His eyes stayed on the Girafarig tail in front of him. It stared at him, occasionally chattering its teeth. It had a little saddle on it's back, but it wasn't a riding saddle. It was for items. He had seen Sabrina put several boxes and bags into those saddlebags, but for now he only knew the contents of one.

He stared at the bag on the right, thinking of the three orbs inside. At least Sabrina had enough respect to put them into separate bags for padding. He didn't stare at any of the passing workers, knowing they were grunts. He only worried about who he was going to be meeting personally. He knew it couldn't be good. He had been to war, and he knew a general when he saw one. Sabrina was one such general, and if she was his private escort, it couldn't be good.

For the hundredth, millionth time, he wondered what Giovanni would want with the Red, Blue and Green Orbs. Of course, he preferred the Indigo, Verdant and Jade titles for the orbs, but most people called them by their colors. These orbs had been meant for the Champions that the Professors spoke of, but not only had Red and Gary gone missing, so had Gold and Crystal. He had hoped that they would help, but no. He had gotten caught before he had managed to find any of the warriors to whom to entrust the Orbs too. Now, their power lay with the Rockets, if they could figure out how to use them.

"SABRINA! You salty dog!" A gruff male voice yelled cheerfully, and a few in the quiet hallway jumped. Sabrina only looked up with a blank expression, very much used to Surge's cheerful nature and booming voice.

"I have the required relics." She said and continued down the hallway as he fell in step beside her, "And I have the old man as you requested."

"Well, that's good news. Now, if we could find the remaining pieces." Surge glanced back at the old man, and Mr. Pokemon's stomach twisted.

**So, I probably have something to do with the missing pieces.** Mr. Pokemon kept behind them, eyes on the floor.

"Any news on the research?" Sabrina asked.

"We got information on Elm. He's in Azalea. Koga went to retrieve him. We got a message back saying there were two escapees we knew to be there, a Crystal and a Gold. You remember them right? They fought us in our Gyms. Stopped a few missions themselves." At their names, Sabrina's head slowly turned to face him, "Well, they escaped with the most vital information. Elm seemed genuinely surprised when he found out the information was gone. So now we are on the lookout for those two." Sabrina stared at him for a long moment, before putting her head around to face forward.

"I did see those two." Her face was blank as she made her admission, "I... did not see reason to bring them back. They were in the Ruins where I got some of the Unown. You need to send a team out to catch them." Surge clucked his tongue.

"Oh, Sabrina, getting sloppy. You knew that girl was the Professor's assistant. She's written all kinds of papers herself." Once Surge had been put on the mission by Giovanni to track down most of the Professors, he had read most of the papers himself. He hadn't understood all of them, but he now knew a great deal more than he had before.

"I didn't think her necessary." If it were possible, Sabrina's voice was colder.

"I'll send out a team. Go, take the Orbs to see where he wants them. The Orbs aren't needed yet, but they will be soon. I don't know if he wants them to assigned to the same team that has been working on the dogs. And we need to report on Gold and Crystal."

"Don't you think I know where to go." Sabrina was sour. She was going to have to admit to Giovanni that she had fucked up.

A few minutes lately, and that was exactly what she was doing. They were Admins and had the fast pass right up to his office. Even then, most Admins didn't get in. Just Surge, Koga and Sabrina were the only ones allowed up there. Most other Admins or workers had to use telecomms.

The three stood in Giovanni's suite lobby, a place where only his family and the Admins were allowed. It took her about 20 steps to get to his desk where he was sitting and writing. There were couches on either side, against the wall, and one in front of his desk, occupied by two lounge chairs. Currently one of the huge display screens was drawn up so the fireplace could be seen, a fire roaring behind him. The two men stayed a little farther back as Sabrina continued forward. Surge did not try to sit down. You did not sit with him, unless you were invited. Even after years of knowing him, Surge knew Giovanni preferred distance between himself and his workers. When Sabrina stepped to his desk, he put down the pen. Sabrina related her story about the Unown in monotone. For most, that tone would have been disrespect, but for her it was just her way.

"Well, your mission was to get the Unown and other relics. And you even managed to captured Mr. Pokemon in the process." With a smile that could seemed far too arrogant, Giovanni turned his face to Mr. Pokemon, "We will get to you, and the bounty on your head. But for now, Sabrina, I will take him. You will get a bonus for the capture of Mr. Pokemon. The escape of Crystal and Gold is unfortunate. You need to be better informed. Read the bulletins on the Professor's before your next mission. You are the Admin. If you cannot be relied upon to point out Professor auxiliaries, who can? Surge, go with Sabrina and get ready. I want you to be ready to move out when we get more information from Mr. Pokemon. I already have a team in mind for retrieving the two escapees."

Done with his orders, Giovanni left his suite, going out the front door Sabrina had first came in. He made sure it clicked shut behind him, several specialized locks clicking into place. Giovanni road the elevator down several floors to a hallway. He explained to Mr. Pokemon that nearby was a suite that held labs. As soon as he stepped out there was a loud snarling noise that vibrated the air with its power, even from outside the labs. He walked down the hallway, eyeing the lab lights casually as he entered the lab door with a quick retina scan. The doors slid open with a quiet hiss.

Giovanni's expression may have been casual, but Mr. Pokemon's was slowly growing alarmed. The roar vibrated with power. He could feel random shifts of heat in the air. He assumed from this that it was a Pokemon with fire capabilities. With the Orbs being in Giovanni's design, he assumed that there were Legendaries involved.

As he stepped up to the rails of the catwalk that ran above the lab, he looked down to view the scenery. The sight, to a Pokemon lover like Mr. Pokemon, was horrendous. Raikou, or what had once been one, was settled into a shallow rectangular pit, rubber lining it to absorb electrical outbursts. Insulated coils of cords were attached at irregular intervals, several shoved into its hindquarters, another into the back of its neck. Beside it, a Suicune was trapped in a similar pit, mewling and unable to break its restraints, the cords not yet attached. It's pit appeared to be made out of silicone. Its noises of despair may have been lower, but it wouldn't seem to stop. The Raikou was quiet for random periods, before roaring and trying to snap at the scientist that stood above it, shaving its fur off in small patches, a long needle attached to a cord held in hand.

There were two guards that were standing nearby. As Giovanni and his prisoner came down the stairs, they could hear the guards talking with the scientist.

"Why dont'cha just shove it in?" Attila sighed from his perch behind the scientist on the edge of a machine's rounded cockpit, sipping on some drink through a straw.

"Even though they are all three dogs, their anatomy have dissimilarities." Bill stood above it, his face tightening in a way that showed he was concentrating on this and nothing else, "I could pierce something else unintended. The Raikou have sacs for electricity near their rumps, their tails are... almost like electrical rods, focusing on the static of the rough, fibrous hair you see on their backs. The Suicune, however, has focused pads in their feet and mouth. I haven't even STARTED on the Entei. It has no indicators of-" Attila snorted behind him, standing up and cutting him off.

"Yeah, yeah, precise stuff. I got it. Hun, you ready yet?" Attila asked impatiently, tossing his empty drink into a trash can without looking.

"Almost." Hun said. She was working on a machine herself, a small screwdriver in her mouth, a ratchet in her hand. Attila had picked up her pliers and was twirling them between his fingers. Bill tuned out their mild squabbling, and suddenly the expression of concentration left his face, and saddened. He remembered that this was a living creature he was working on, and not just some big machine battery. He tenderly rubbed the shaved patch on Suicune, the poor thing mewling under his hand, before he pierced it. It jerked, rattling the heavy metal bands that kept it down.

"I'm sorry." Bill whispered to it. Beside them, Entei was eyeing him quietly. Whenever they had caught Entei, it had wild looking eyes. Now he just stared back with what Bill expected to be intelligence. He hated to see that look of apprehension on its face. He found he did not like being an impending source of terror.

"Ready." Hun said as she spat the screwdriver out and put her wrench and ratchet in the toolbox. She pulled down a control panel covering to a box and then flipped a switch. Her machine's lights started to flash. There was a large, high pitched scream from another cage where a Raticate was being held. Hun picked up a rod that was attached to the box she had just fixed, and went over and stared a moment before prodding the rat with the long pole, two little nodes at the end.

"There's no electrical charge. It didn't keep." Hun frown deeply, turning her gaze on Bill coldly. The experiment wasn't working, equipment was breaking and Hun had a temper. Bill sighed in exhaustion, slumping partially against the control panel and didn't notice Hun's murderous look. He seemed to get the bad end of her temper all the time. It just seemed to be a part of his scene nowadays.

"I don't know what's wrong. I thought your scientists fixed this problem with the-" He cried out in pain as he got punched in the head from behind by Hun. Reddish black color flooded his sight, but Bill was deeply grateful that she had sat her tools down before hitting him.

"Quit complaining, it's your problem now, not them!" Hun's harsh voice snapped at him. Bill kept his head bowed, having learned quickly that Hun expected him to listen and not respond. For fear of reprisals, he never spoke back, "Now fix it." Bill was quiet as they prepared to leave, quietly focusing on being unnoticed. He heard rattles behind him, and Attila barked out laughter.

"Hey, Boss!" Attila turned to Giovanni, who had reached the bottom floor. Mr. Pokemon was a little slower coming down the stairs, hindered by his weaker legs and need to use a cane.

"Attila. I have a new mission for you." Giovanni said, and quickly outlined the two that needed apprehending, and where they had been. At the mention of the two, Attila's eyes widened in recognition.

"Ooooh, I remember those two. They were the reason that Raikou first got away. I know that girl will be angry about it. She's the one that was on board trying to get it free. God, I love rubbing stuff in."

"We need to get moving. You heard him. Now that they have the research materials, they're probably hauling ass." Hun snapped at him, and there was a sound of machinery coming to life. Hun and Attila were getting into one of Attila's many vehicles. The great big tank looking machine drove forwards towards the garage door. Quickly, the door snapped open, they left, and the door was closed again. Bill had never been allowed to see what was down that tunnel. He had tried, and apparently only workers had authorization.

When Hun left, Bill sat on his high stool, hands on the panel, head slumped and eyes glazed. He didn't really pay attention to the two visitors. Since Giovanni hadn't spoken to him, he was not going to speak. He was just going to fade into the background if he was allowed. Slowly his fingers started to move over the keypad again, trying to figure out this problem before the problem got him killed.

He had the desirable needles and tubes attached to Raikou. He simply couldn't understand why his power wasn't being drained into the energy reservation batteries.

"So, you haven't even started on Entei." Giovanni spoke, and Bill jumped off his stool. He'd been here for months but the mere mention of Rocket Boss just had him sweating.

"N-no sir." Bill stood, but he didn't look up, he just stared down at his feet.

"Well then, you had better start. I need all three dogs soon."

"Yes Mr. Giovanni sir." Bill said, unable to stop tears from welling in his eyes. He glanced quickly up, and then back down, copper on his tongue. The man looked scary. He was standing up tall and just watching, very still. His voice was strong, and sure. So sure, "I'll try harder sir." Bill stared down at his feet, his hands trembling slightly. He didn't know this man very well, nobody did. But there must be a reason all these horribly strong, violent people followed him without question, and he didn't want to find out personally.

"Good. That's what I need from my scientists." Giovanni said. Inwardly, Bill wanted to puke at being called Giovanni's scientist. Instead, Bill kept his head down, stomach churning as he heard footsteps starting to where Bill's platform was. He didn't get up from his chair, frozen. He heard rustling and glanced sideways. Giovanni had put on rubber gloves and was moving cables around, disconnecting and reconnecting a few. A few clasps, screws and nuts were added. Giovanni took the rod in his hand and jabbed it at the Raticate. Sparks flew, and the poor creature lay flat on it's stomach, flattening itself, as if it were trying to get away. He was already afraid of Giovanni's battling and leading capabilities, and what's more, he knew how to fix the cables and components. What all did this man know?

Bill stared in amazed horror. Giovanni had managed to fix a problem he had been struggling with all day. A part of him was immensely embarrassed that it had been such a simple problem.

"Probably a part just broke off during Raikou's struggle. As simple as repairing or replacing a missing piece. If something as simple as this has stopped advancement, I may not have enough scientists in your department." Giovanni was silent for a moment, staring at his face, "You will have help soon enough. Once this gentleman is introduced. They should be down shortly." He noted how Bill couldn't look him in the eye and smirked, "Or maybe it's the pressure. I will tell Hun and Attila to back off. But if I don't get results in say, two weeks, the pressure will be back on. Do I make myself clear?" Bill nodded quickly, his eyes focused back on his feet, "Good. Now. Introduce Mr. Pokemon to your workings. We will be back soon to talk about the relics we have obtained, and what these dogs will be used for." More tapping of footsteps and Giovanni was gone.

Bill breathed shakily, and started back into fixing the cables for Raikou and Suicune. He didn't talk for awhile, shaken by Giovanni's presence. Mr. Pokemon understood, and just came over to him and sat a stool and started looking over his papers. He pretended to ignore Bill's shaky hands and the tears that wettened his cheeks. Giovanni now had two refugee scientists, relics, the three Legendary dogs. Who knew what else he had in this tower.

It took Mr. Pokemon a minute to focus, but when he did he was both despairing and pleased. These papers were full of important information. Everything was precisely measured and drawn. Of course, he had known Bill for a long time. More importantly, he had known his talent. It was him that had introduced Bill to Professors Oak and Elm, having seen promise in him, and had launched his career. Sure, Bill had always been really good at the mechanics and engineering. Heck, he even had a good hand in the science parts. He was particularly good at biology and chemistry. Once Mr. Pokemon had gotten involved with his money and connections had been the day Bill had began to be a household name.

Instead of focusing on their past relationship, and perhaps giving the Rockets more information, Mr. Pokemon just continued to read the papers.

When he was ready, Bill swiveled his chair to face Mr. Pokemon. Mr. Pokemon put down the papers and gave him his full attention.

"I am here to weaponize the Legendary Dog Pokemon." Bill started his explanation, "As you may have heard from Attila, that blond guard, Raikou had already been caught at one point, and saved." Bill tried not to think about the fact that this time was probably Raikou's last reach for freedom, "They are not currently able to escape. They are in a mode called 'Shadow'. We are here to tap into their potential and-" The men turned at the sound of a sharp pop.

Behind them stood a young woman and two men. On the woman's mouth was a pink piece of bubblegum that she had popped; that had been the noise they'd heard. The gum matches her two long pig tails that went down past her butt. She had on a white tube dress that matched the weird space looking armor that one of the men was wearing, and the long white scientist coat the last was wearing.

"We're not here to weaponize JUST the Legendary Dogs." The woman stepped forward, popping another bubble, "Oh yeah, I'm Lovrina. That's Naps-" She briefly nodded at the guy with the weird armor, "-and that guy there is Ein." So, the scientist was Ein, "And I will be your reporting officer. You tell ALL your research to me. Got it?" Bill stared at her, slightly taken aback. She couldn't be very old. She looked like a high schooler. He was brusquely pushed off his seat when Ein stepped forward and shoved him off it. Standing up, Ein started to tap at the computer, looking through his notes. His face was still as he did so, not giving up any thoughts on the research.

Bill sighed, trying to ignore him, and looked back to Lovrina. Mr. Pokemon, who had been silently sitting for most of this, had been staring at the velvet carrier bag that Naps was holding. So that's where the Orbs had gone to. He stopped staring when he noticed that Bill had been bullied out of his seat. He got up and walked over to stand beside Ein. When Ein turned to look at him blankly, Mr. Pokemon wacked his cane solidly into his shin. Not expecting an attack from the elderly man, the cane hit Ein solidly and he hopped backward, yelping. Mr. Pokemon stared at him grimly and put his hand on Bill's shoulder, firmly putting him back on the stool. Bill briefly pushed against him, alarmed at his, but eventually sat down.

Lovrina started to cackle and went up to the computer beside Bill with a huge grin on her face, her eyes wide.

"I like you old man." She snickered once more before putting her hands on her hips, and began to speak about Team Rocket's plans, "Now, don't get us confused with Rockets. We're from Team Cipher, and don't you forget it! We've only been brought in for a very specific mission." Lovrina began to debrief her new team. Throughout the speech, Bill and Mr. Pokemon seemed to be the only ones bothered by the mewling in the background from the tortured Pokemon.


End file.
